The Babysitters Club members graduate
by PrincessSkywalkerOrgana
Summary: HAPPY BSC FANFICTION. The older members of the Club make it to their senior graduation. Story starts just before the Graduation ceremony


 AN-I felt so sad as to how many people felt that the club would break up, so I added my own fic. This is my first real BSC fic, I wrote one crossover but… Okay, just so you know I haven't read all the friendsfoverever fics, nor really have I read past 101 so… many of you may say that'swhyyouthink the club won't break up, but even in the continuation series Abby, Stacey, Mary Anne, Kristy, and Claudia keep the club going. 

 **But I am not pretending that they are not going to have any problems. So read. **

            "I can't believe we made it this far." Kristy said, as the girls all gathered at Stacey's house.

            "Neither can I, graduation day. Who would've thought." Mary Anne said.

            Everyone gathered heard the implied _all of us together, still best friends._

            "It has been a rocky four years." Stacey said.

            "Three for some of us." Claudia said, glumly. 

            Everyone smiled sympathetically, but they let Stacey, Claudia's best friend say it. "Senior year is definitely the easiest."

            "I hope so." Claudia said, letting introspection grab her for a moment. Then she forced a smile on her face. "We are here to celebrate your graduation."

             "Claudia, that outfit looks awesome." Stacey said, talking about the purple and green dress that Claudia had made herself, with the wire earrings, and the purple pendant on her forehead. 

            "Thanks." Claudia said, smoothing it down.

            "Speaking of outfits, this graduation gown and cap makes me look awful." Kristy grumbled.

            "Be glad to be graduating." Abby said.

            "Girls, let us go." Maureen McGill said, "all the parents want photographs. Including me to be fair, I am waiting until we get there."

            They all piled into the Mountaineer that Kristy had driven over. "Kristy, thank Watson for loaning us this." Maureen said to Kristy.

            "It is no problem. Thank you for letting us use your house to get ready, then driving us." Kristy said.

            "Yeah, thank you." All the girls chorused. "This way the BSC can go together."

            Maureen looked like she was going to say something to that, but before she could they arrived to SHS. "Little Sis, I can't believe you are graduating from High School." Charlie was the first one to spot the BSC members. He hugged Kristy and spun her around. "I am so proud of you."

            "Thanks." Kristy said, truly touched. Her brother had always been like that, truly caring. "Look at you, all doled up." She said, gesturing to her brother's suit and tie. "And I thought you hated neck ties."

            "For you, sister, anything." He said, mock groveling.

            Elizabeth hugged Kristy next. "I am so proud of you."

            "Thanks, mom." Kristy looked her mom in the eye. "I say that sincerely."

            "I know." Elizabeth said, touched.

            In the meantime Stacey was looking around for her dad. "Stace, I am sure he will be here." Maureen said.

            "I hope so." Stacey said, her eyes stormy at the thought that her father would miss this day. He knew how hard it had been for her to get here. 

             "Photographs!" Watson called.

            Kristy, and the others posed in their graduation gown against the building. A series of flashes went off as all the parents took individual shots. "A group shot." Watson suggested. "What do you say." He asked, looking at all the parents.

            "Good idea." Mr. Spier said.

            All the other parents nodded

            The BSC sans Claudia huddled for a group shot. Claudia hung to the side, a bit awkwardly. "Claudia, get in here." Kristy ordered for the next picture.

            "Are you sure?" Claudia said.

            "Yes." The usually soft spoken Mary Anne said, firmly. 

            Claudia came in and they took a few more pictures. 

            "Beautiful." Sharon pronounced. 

            "Dawn isn't here yet." Mary Anne noticed. 

            "She will be." Sharon said.

            "Yes, she will be." Kristy said. "She is responsible, and knows how much this means to you." 

            All the BSC members looked at Kristy in surprise, Dawn and Kristy's relationship, that had always been a little rocky, had gotten worse during High School. Kristy looked resolutely ahead as everyone looked at her, she knew exactly why they were looking at her like that. 

            Kristy was rescued by the class vice president coming running outside and saying "There you all are, Mandy is going nuts. The rest of the class, well those who can be expected to show up, are here." 

"Coming Dirk." Kristy said.

"BSC fall in." She ordered.

Everyone rolled their eyes. "Yes Corporal Kristy ma'am." They yelled.

"Claudia, is coming with us, is that okay Corporal?" Elizabeth said.

"Yes mother ma'am." Kristy said.

Everyone laughed. "Good luck." Claudia said. 

Dirk led them to a hallway where all the others were assembled. "There you are." Mandy, the class president, said relief evident in her voice.

"Line up… how we practiced in rehearsal." Mandy said, giving up being calm.

They did, and they walked in perfectly. Kristy, whose fear had been slipping and falling, walked beautifully. "Dawn is here." Mary Anne whispered to Kristy in relief as she saw her stepsister in the audience.

It took effort, but Kristy made herself actually happy and was able to say, "I am glad." Sincerely. 

In the meantime Stacey was telling herself, _don't look out at the audience, don't ruin this for yourself. _ She knew in her heart of hearts that her father wasn't going to make it. His workaholic propensity had increased over the last year, before this last year she couldn't have believed that was possible. Her father had always been a workaholic.  Stacey made herself concentrate on the Principal's words. "… this class has been one with great potential."

Kristy looked at each of her friends. She still couldn't believe that they had finished this together. There had been so many trials… especially for the BSC. The workload had gotten so bad at times that they had almost had to close the BSC. In fact they had been typing closing posters when the idea that had saved the BSC had occurred to Kristy. They had founded an Associate Baby-Sitters Club. The ABSC members were younger students such as David Michael, Karen, and a few other students in 7th grade. Each ABSC member had to be unanimously voted in after a 3 week training session. In that training session they were watched by BSC members, and for the first few months the BSC members would randomly drop in on ABSC members as they were sitting. (ABSC appointments were also recorded in Mary Anne's book.) Once this trial period was over the baby-sitters were called upon regularly.

ABSC existed for all but once a month as a website. Members were required to check online every 3 minutes from 5:30-6 on Club meeting days to see whether or not there was a sitting job, except for the first Friday of the month when they went to Claudia's for the official meeting. Here the ABSC members and BSC members shared Babysitting notebooks, experiences, and dates. 

_Wow, that was a complicated system._ Kristy thought, wryly. _Well, that was the only way to keep the BSC going, have us all pass school, and keep the power structure we wanted._ Was was right. With so many BSC members going to college the ABSC and BSC would merge next year. Senior ABSC members would be eligible to be officers. This system allowed for the BSC to continue forever. 

_It took clients awhile to get used to the system and to hearing 'we are referring you to the ABSC so it may be a bit before I can call you back, but you will have a sitter._' 

The ceremony went off without a hitch and ended with the principal yelling "I present you with the graduation class." 

"All right, BSC, Watson has arranged a party for us." Kristy said, gathering the BSC together half an hour later. "And you will not believe what all the parents have arranged for us, Limos to take us around Stoneybrook."

They all squealed with delight. "The chauffeurs have been instructed to bring you to my house in time for the party." Watson explained. "Now have fun."

"Thank you." They all chorused. 

"Dawn, why aren't you climbing in." Mary Anne asked.

"You guys go and have fun." Dawn said, hanging back.

Everyone was quiet at that point. They knew what she why she wasn't coming; she didn't want to ruin the evening by her and Kristy exchanging harsh words. "Please, join us." Kristy said.

The look on Dawn's face was priceless. She knew by how long it took Kristy, and the look on her face told Dawn that Kristy hadn't completely stopped being mad at her, but she still appreciated this big step. They had become so estranged that they couldn't be in the same building. 

"I really appreciate that, but I think this is all of your day. I will join you at the Thomas-Brewer residence." Dawn said. 

Mary Anne gave Dawn a warm smile. "If you are sure." 

Mary Anne, who was closest to the door, closed the door and they were off. "Where to." The chauffer asked. 

"Can we just cruise the streets of Stoneybrook." Kristy asked.

"Sure." 

"Wow, this is so cool." Mallory said. "Just like a book."

"Yeah." Everyone chorused.

It felt so different looking at the streets of Stoneybrook through a limo's tinted windows. It felt so good when people would try to peep in the windows expecting someone famous to be inside. 

But soon Mary Anne noticed that Stacey wasn't joining in on the fun, rather was sitting back her eyes brimming with tears. "Stacey, what is the matter?" She asked, concerned.

That comment brought the other babysitters to reality, and they sat back and looked at Stacey as well. "Well, it is kinda silly… but my father didn't even make it for the ceremony." She said.

"Oh Stace, that is not silly." Claudia said, coming and holding Stacey.

"Yeah." Kristy and Jessie said.

"Double." Mallory said.

All the babysitters held Stacey. "It is okay to cry you know." Abby said. "It is okay to be angry."

Everyone looked at Abby with surprise; this wasn't the thing that usually came from Abby. She shrugged. "I know from experience. My mother went through the same thing. It was right after my father died… I guess she wanted to be busy so she could forget. I tell you, Stacey, pretending you are not angry or not crying just makes it worse. You need to cry, get angry, and then… accept it, I guess."

"I thought I was over it. I mean, he has been a workaholic for at least 4 years now." Stacey said, the tears starting to come. 

"I am sorry." Mary Anne said, starting to cry along with Stacey as she and the other BSC members held Stacey tightly.

"Mary Anne, don't you think you are a little old to cry like this." Kristy said, dryly to lighten up the mood, as she also held Stacey. 

Everyone laughed, albeit some through tears.

"Rosebud." Everyone yelled as they saw the café. "Could we stop there please?"

"You are the bosses."

 They all, minus Jessie, Claudia, and Mallory, went inside proudly showing their graduation gowns. Claudia called Jessie and Mallory over and they huddled for a moment. "Today's on us." Claudia announced. "Our treat for the graduates."

"Wow, thanks guys." Abby said. 

They all ordered small sodas. "I still can't believe we don't have to go to school in September." Stacey said.

"Ditto."

"Well, we do." Kristy said. "Just college."

"College is different." Mary Anne stipulated. 

"Yeah, we are all going to be in different places." Claudia said.

"But we are going to keep in touch." Kristy said, glancing at Mary Anne.

"Definitely! And we will be home for Christmas and summer breaks." Stacey said.

"Let's go enjoy our limo." Abby said, once everyone had finished her soda.

Claudia, Jessie, and Mallory went to the cashier with their bill and the other girls flagged down the chauffer. From Rosebud they went to the Stoneybrook river and looked at it in all of its night splendor. They sat there and chatted for awhile, in fact they sat their and chatted until the chauffer came and said. "I am afraid it is time to go. I am supposed to get you to McLelland Road in twenty minutes."

They all climbed into the limousine. "Can you imagine owning one of these?" Abby remarked.

"Laine practically does, I think it gets boring after awhile. She was talking about Prom night in NYC, and she was telling me how all the girls wanted to rent limos, but she didn't. It wasn't special for her anymore." Stacey said. "I mean, I kind of like having this be special for me."

"I guess." Jessie remarked, doubtfully.

"We are here." The chauffer remarked.

"Thank you." All the girls chorused.

The chauffer lifted her cap. "My pleasure."

She opened the door. "Best of luck to you all." 

"Kristy, can we go through back so we can all change." Stacey asked.   
           "Sure." Kristy said. "I have the key."

They snuck in through the back, they all had had their parents stash their stuff in Kristy's room. "I still can't believe your parents let you renovate your room." Mary Anne said. "You are so lucky. This room is so gorgeous"

Kristy smiled genuinely. "Yeah, I guess I am." Then Kristy authoritative  All right everyone, speed change."

All the girls changed into their outfits. "Sizzling." Claudia said.

"Now lets go scare everyone." Kristy said, impishly. "Watson is probably calling the limo company as we speak."

 Sure enough as they went downstairs they saw Watson dialing the number to the limo company. "B-S-C." Kristy whispered to all the girls climbing down the stairs.

"BSC, B-S-C." They all chanted.

Watson's hand froze on the numbers. For a moment he looked shocked, then surprised, then relieved, then he started to laugh.

"What," Kristy said innocently, "we can in from the back so we could change."

"I guess it is their graduation day, we can give them a bit latitude." Richard, Mary Anne's father, said.

Dawn came then and joined them then. "All the parents had been starting to worry." She said.

"What about you." Stacey asked.

"I figured you were pulling something like this."

"No, Watson, the chauffer was really responsible. She saw that none of us had watches on us so she came out to where we were and told us that it was time to go so she could get us home on time." Kristy said.

"I am relieved." 

"Well, they are here now." Elizabeth said. "So let's start the party." She ordered.

She moved aside and let the BSC go from the entrance hallway into the living room where balloons were set up as were tables and a little room had been left for a dance floor. Kristy's smile froze a little as she saw Logan Bruno in the crowd. _Well, at least he didn't bring his new girlfriend. I should've known he wouldn't, even if he is a jerk for dumping Mary Anne, he has that much courtesy._

Kristy waited to say anything until Mary Anne was talking to Shannon Kilbourne. Then she looked around for the nearest Babysitters club member, who was Stacey. "Excuse me, please. I need to borrow Stacey for a moment." Kristy said to the person Stacey was talking to, Andrea.

"What." Stacey asked, confused.

Kristy put a finger over her mouth and dragged Stacey to an isolated corner.

Kristy pointed to Logan. "Ah." Stacey said.

"Yea, we need to find away to keep him and Mary Anne separate. Mary Anne should have fun today, not be crying over him." Kristy said.

"Okay, what we need to do is spread the word, I will tell Jessie and Abby.

"-And Dawn." Kristy interrupted.

Stacey nodded. "And Dawn, you tell Claudia and Shannon."

"Done."

Stacey gave Kristy a thumbs up. They separated and told the people they said they would tell. The BSC members then did the best job they could of keeping Mary Anne away from Logan. 

            "Dinner is served." Watson announced, after conferring with Nannie and the caterer. The BSC members, except for Mary Anne, exchanged looks of panic. How were they going to keep Mary Anne from seeing Logan when they were sitting down? Plus, Logan was a member of the BSC so he would be at the head table. Shannon, who was keeping an eye on Logan came back, a sure sign that he had left. Everyone sighed with relief. "The situation must be as awkward for Logan as they imagined it would be for Mary Anne. _Thank you, Logan!_ Kristy thought.

            "What is going on." Mary Anne asked. "Why do you all look so relieved?"

            "Nothing." Dawn lied. "Let's go sit down."

            Mary Anne gave her stepsister a very suspicious look, but she went with the BSC and sat down. 

              The BSC and their parents were at the head table (including Dawn); all the guests were at other tables. The ABSC members were at the tables closest to the head table. "A toast to the graduates." Mrs. Kishi said, getting up. 

        "A toast." Everyone said.

            "It was only a while ago that these graduates were babies. Three of them were babies right here in Stoneybrook, and I have had the pleasure of seeing them grow up. When they were 13 the rest of the group came together. They have been together for so long now, gosh at least 5 years. They have helped each other grow, and now they are at this point. They have seen many in their own grade succumb, but they haven't. So to their strength."

            "To strength." Everyone said and sipped.

            Watson raised a toast, then Richard Spier, and finally Kristy made a speech. "I have something to say." She said, her voice cracking a bit. "These last four years have been tough for me. Very tough. There have been many days where I thought I would not be able to make it. But thanks to the people in this room, my friends and my family, I have made it. All the tantrums you guys put up with, all the power trips. But _we_ proved that friends can be and are forever. This fall we go off to college, to help us stay in touch, I have started a website where we can all leave messages for each other. Friends4ever.bsc.com. I hope we use it." Kristy said.

         Everyone clapped.

            "All right, everyone at the head table can go get their food now, followed by tables 1-3." Watson announced.

               Everyone at the head table went and got their food. "Wow, this is awesome." Mary Anne commented. 

            "But look at the Tahini sauce." Kristy said.

            Mary Anne's face immediately paled. "Drop it, Kristy." Claudia said. "Let us just enjoy the food."

            But no one touched Tahini sauce after that. After dinner, the D.J. started the dancing. "Psst. Let's sneak out." Kristy whispered to everyone. "Watson said the party would end by eleven so we could have the house to ourselves, but until then let's go."

            "But, won't that disappoint Watson?" Mary Anne said. "After he went through all this trouble."

            "Nah. We stayed this long, plus it is only dancing now." Kristy stopped short. "Oh, shoot, I forgot, the cake. Okay, let's leave 10 minutes after the cake is cut."

            "Awesome." 

            Stacey looked down at her dress and the other girls looked at Kristy as though she was an ogre. Most of them had wanted to sneak out before the cake for Stacey's sake.

           But there was nothing they could do now. To say anything now would make it obvious, besides there really had been no way they could've snuck out before their own cake. 

          "Ladies and gentlemen it is now time for the graduates to cut the cake." Watson announced. The BSC members saw one very cake. "Graduates come over here and cut."

            "Wait." Kristy said, as the graduates were about to cut the cake. "Watson you forgot one."

         She went to the fridge and pulled a cake out. "My, that I did." Watson said. 

        All the BSC members looked at Kristy puzzled as she brought the cake, which was small and personal sized over.  "No one should be denied graduation cake." Kristy said. "Stace, this one is for you."

           A look of understanding came over Mary Anne and she looked at Kristy, who winked.

            Mary Anne shook her head at Kristy. 

            "Thanks." Stacey said, meaning it with every fiber. 

            "Just cut." Kristy said.

During High School Stacey had gotten more self-conscious about her diabetes. She started to get even more annoyed with missing out on treats, and having to watch herself. 

      Kristy thought back to the incident that had convinced them all of this fact.  _Flashback. _

            Mary Anne and Kristy had gone to the premier Ice Cream Parlor of Stoneybrook. They had just taken their ice creams and had sat down when they saw Stacey walk in with Andrea, Michelle, and a few others. Mary Anne and Kristy exchanged a look. "That is brave of Stacey." Mary Anne said. "She knows she can't have ice cream, but she came anyways."

            "Yeah." Kristy said.

            But both Kristy and Mary Anne felt that something was up, especially when Stacey avoided their eyes, so they kept watching her.

            They watched as her turn came up in line and she ordered an ice cream. "Anastasia McGill." Kristy exclaimed, reacting before Mary Anne did. 

            Kristy got up and stormed to the ice cream counter. She knocked the ice cream out of Stacey's hand. "Do you want to end up in the hospital?" She said. "Answer me!"

            "Kristy I-" Stacey said. "I am sick of missing out on treats, I am sick of going out with friends and not being able to enjoy myself fully." She said, ranting.

            "Speaking of friends, if you guys really were her friends, you would not have come here with her. You would've gone somewhere else." Kristy said, speaking to Andrea and Michelle.

            Andrea looked a bit ashamed, but Michelle said. "She is a big girl, she can handle herself.

            Kristy looked sickened, but before she could say anything else Mary Anne interrupted. "Come on, Kristy, Stacey."

            Mary Anne turned to the cashier. "Diabetic, huh?" The lady said

            "Yeah." Mary Anne said, taking out some money.

            "It is on the house." The lady said. "You guys are good friends. You probably saved her a whole lotta time in the hospital, at the very least."

             Mary Anne smiled at the lady, and dragged Kristy and Stacey out of there. "You don't know how it gets." Stacey said, defending herself.

            "Then tell me." Kristy challenged. "How bad does it get that you would want to kill yourself for an ice cream." 

            Stacey looked away. "Young lady, I am keeping an eye on you. I have no intention of losing you." Kristy said, with her hands on her hips.

            _Back to the present._ All the BSC graduates cut both cakes. They were going to feed each other pieces but Dawn started to back away. "Oh no you don't."

            "The right corner is a tofu based healthy cake." Watson said.

            "All right then." Dawn relented 

           The BSC members stuffed their faces and each others', and their families' with cake. 

            They stuck around a few more minutes then they snuck out. They went to Claudia's house, home of the BSC and site of many hours of their life. "I have been in this room Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays for… wow 5 years now." Stacey said. "I can't believe that in three weeks I won't be doing that anymore." New York University, where Stacey had finally decided to go was having freshmen orientation in three weeks.

            "You will be back after orientation." Claudia pointed out.

            "For a month." Stacey said. "Even then I will be so busy with my mom."

            "We are still going to hang out." Mary Anne said.

            "Mary Anne, most of us have different orientation times. We will be here for 3 days together after Tuesday." Kristy said.

              Mary Anne looked sad. "Let's make the best of the time we have." Abby said, quietly.

            "I can't believe my father didn't let me go to New York University." Mary Anne said. "I got in with quite a decent scholarship. University of Rochester gave me next to nothi"

            "You visited." Kristy pointed out. 

            "Barely, my father took one look at the campus and said 'no way'. He didn't even let me listen to the information session. We went back to the car to wait for Stacey and her mom." Mary Anne said, gloomily.

            "Anyways, you like the University of Rochester, right?" Kristy asked. 

            "Yeah." Mary Anne said. "But not as much as NYU." 

             "At least you are going to college." Claudia pointed out. "I am stuck in Dumb High School."

            Everyone piled hugs on Claudia. "What am I going to do next year? You are all off at college." Claudia said, not satisfied.

            "We will write, IM, and call." Kristy said.

            They talked for a while more, then while surfing the internet Stacey found out that Snow White was on, so they all huddled in front of the Kishi's television set and watched until they fell asleep.

              The next day all the BSC members, sans Claudia, Jessie, and Mallory, left at noon so they could start getting stuff together for college. They were all busy getting ready for their orientations, but they found time to hang out. Even through college they kept in touch, they were after all, the Baby-sitters Club.


End file.
